A SCHOOL'S groundskeepers has continued his proud tradition of bonfire excellence with a German warship theme.

Come November Luckley House School in Wokingham will host a firework night for its pupils, parents and staff.

Over recent years the highlight of the evening and the topic of conversation has been the increasingly spectacular bonfire.

Each year Steve Holland, the school’s groundsman, spends weeks planning and building elaborate construction, to be set alight on the big night.

In 2016 his Pudding Lane bonfire was featured on television, following on from flammable Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Palace.

This time around Mr Holland has built his own replica of the German Battleship, the Admiral Graf Spee.

Admiral Graf Spee was a Deutschland-class armoured ship, nicknamed a "pocket battleship" by the British, which served with the Kriegsmarine of Nazi Germany during World War II.

The Spee's captain, Hans Langsdorff scuttled the ship in neutral waters in December 1939, after it became damaged.

The ship’s painted crew includes various members of Luckley staff, with Mr Holland as the captain.

The pupils have also engaged with the project, helping to paint the portholes on the ship and regularly visiting the field to watch the progress.

Jane Tudor, headteacher, said: “Mr Holland’s hard work and creativity is very much appreciated by the whole school.

"We all look forward to seeing his fabulous creations and are always slightly saddened to see all his hard work go up in flames.”